Dental impression tray



July 5, 1927. 11,634,717

G. H. LIGHT DENTAL IMPRESSION TRAY Filed ALIZ. 5, 1925 WITNESSES I N V EN TOR:

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TORNEYS.

Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT, orsics.

GRANT HOBART LIGHT, OF LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

DENTAL IMrnEssIoN TRAY.

Application filed August 3, 1925. Serial No. 47,970.

This invention relates to devices ordinarily known as impression trays useful to dentist-s in making with plaster of Paris or other plastic compositions, casts or impressions of the mouth, serviceable as records of dental operations finished, or to'facilitatei air holes and other imperfections attending impression making with devices heretofore available for this purpose.

My invention is further directed toward securing the above desiderata in a dental impression device which is comparatively simple in construction and reliable inoperati'on; inexpensive to manufacture; extremely light in weight, yet sufficiently sturdy to resist distortion under pressure of the plastic during application. as aforesaid; and very easy to manipulate;

Other objects and advantages will be 1 manifest from the description hereinafter of the typical embodiment of my invention shown inthe drawings, whereof Fig. I is a plan view.

Fig. II is a side elevation of the device as viewed from the bottom of Fig. I, with certain parts broken away and in section to disclose important structural details;

Fig. III is a rear end view; and

Fig. IV is an inverted plan view of the organization. 1

As shown, the device comprises abottom member 5 preferablyconstructed of a light non-corrosive sheet metal such as aluminum, and fashioned to semi-elliptic contour with the center raised as at 6'to simulate the 50 shape of the humanpalate.

tions along opposite side edges of the'bottom member 5 are overlapped by inwardlyextending base flanges 7 of flanking side members 8also constructed of aluminum Marginal por- 01" the like-with upstanding retaining walls 9, said side members being exact reverse counterparts of one another and suitably formed to correspond in configuration to the contiguous side edges of the bottom member which they respectively overlap. As a consequence of this construction, the component members, 5, 8, jointly provide a perimetrically-closed tray to hold an adequate quantity of the plastic which is to .serve as the base for the impression. .As

best seen in Figs. I and IV, the complemental flanking side members 8 abut cen trally at the front of the bottom member 5, and are there joined by an arcuate leaf spring 10. in the present instance conven iently secured to them by rivets 11,-said spring, by virtue of its position, tending to resist movement of the members 8 laterally relative to each other and the bottom member 5.

Referring more particularly to Figs. II,

III and IV, it will be' observed that the flanking side members 8 aforesaid are coordinated, adjacent their rear ends, with the bottom member 5 by pin and cam slot connections. each comprehensively designated 12. These connections 12 .-conveniently,

thouirh not essentiallvcompris, brackets 13 which are secured to the corresponding side members 8 by rivets l4. and. bent horizontally as at '15 to underlap the side edges of the bottom member 5, thereby to assist in holdmy; the several parts against becoming disengaged during manipulation of the tray.

The .underlapping portions 15 of the brackets 13 are characterized by complementarilysloped open-ended cam slots 16 for engaging pins 17 which are anchored in. and depend from. the bottom member 5. as shown in Figs. II and IV. Accordingly. with longitudinal movement of the member 5 in one direction or the other relative to the flankconnections 12 will eifecteither compensative lateral. separation or approach of said side members to expand or contract the threaded shank 19 which is conveniently secured at 20 to the front end of the bottom plate 5, and projects forwardly for engageinn: side member 8, the pin and cam slotment therewith of an adjusting nut 21 that is sustained for tree rotation in a bearing 22 suspended from the leaf spring connector 10.

In making an impression with my improved tray, the procedure is as follows:

The tray is first expanded to the full limitand filled with the plastic, it is then placed in the mouth of the patient, and a snap impression made simply by pressing the device bodily against the palate. As a resultof this snap. impression, the amount of plastic over and above .the quantity actually needed torced out 01 the tray. After removal of :the displaced excess plastic, the device is replaced withinvthe patients mouth and firmly held against the palate with one hand, while the other hand :is employed in manipulating the thumbnut .21 to effect contraction of the flanking side members 8, Srelativeto the bottom member 5, with the result that the plastic is compressed and forced uniformly and evenly outward against the teeth as well as against the alveolus and hard palate. .Atterallowinn the proper interval for .the plastic to set, the device is .again withdrawn, whereupon the cast .may be removed from the tray by expandingithe latter through re verse manipulation of the thumb nut .21, i. e., to suiiiciently separatethe flanking sid-e members 8, 8 for removal of the cast without danger or injury to the same. --In 'this connection it is to be particularly noted that the screw means 18, inaddition to servingas the means to manipulate "the device, functions to holdthe component parts locked in whatever posit-ion placed.

As a result of being constructed almost wholly of aluminum, the device .isvery light in weight yet amply strong .and sturdy to .resistrough usage as Welles distortion when manipulated to compress the plastic 1na- .terial incidentally to making fanimpression.

Furthermore, the structuralesimplicity of my improved dental tray renders itsmanip- ,ulation extremely easy and .quick, insures reliability in continued use, and facilitates its manufacture at very small cost.

Having thus describedmy invention, I

.claim "l. A dental device for 'making impressions of plastic materlal comprising compo- .nent parts interconnected for relative movement, and a common actuator adapted :to

simultaneously shift the:. parts to effect both longitudinal and lateral contraction of the device after placement in a patients mouth.

2. A dental device for making impressions ofplasticmaterial comprising expansile component sections jointly forming a perimetrically closed tray for the plastic, means enablingirelative contraction of said component sectionslaterally and. lOIlQTitudinally, after placement of the device in the patients mouth, to compress the plastic and force it outward against the alveolus hard palate.

.4. A dentaldevice for making impressions otplast-ic material comprisinga bottom member; relatively-eilpansile flanking side members wand tmeans .to shift 'saidmembers laterally and longitudinally with respect to the bottom -.member, after placement of the device in the mouth of the patient, to compressthe plastic and force .it outwardlvaeainst the alveolus and hard palate.

.5..A dental device for making impressions of plastic material comprising a bottom 'member 'relativel-v-expansile 'tlanlzng side members movable aboutYa point centrally otit-he front'o'f'the bottom member; and

means to enable simultaneous contraction of said members laterally and longitudinal- .ly with respect to-said member, after placement otthe device in the patientls mouth, \tocompress the plastic and force it outwardly against the alveolusand the hard palate.

6. A dental device for making impressions of plastic material comprising a bottom member; flank-ingexpansile side members engaged by pin and .camslot. connectionswithsaid bottom member; and means for shifting the bottom and side members longitudinally and laterally after placement in the mouth of thepatient, to actuate said pm and slot connections in contracting the device to-compress the plasticand vforce itoutwardly against'the alveolus and hard palate.

'7. A dental device for making impressions of plastic material comprising a bot "tom member; flanking expansile side-members engaged by pin and cam slot connec- :tlOIlS with said bottom-member; and screw means enablingshitting of the bottom and side members r longitudinally -and"laterally, ,atterplacement in the patients mouth, to

actuate said pin and cam slot means in contracting the device to compress the plastic 8. A dental device for making impressions of I PlflStlC"II1ltGIl2Ll comprising av bottom member; relatively-movable flanking side members abutting centrally of'thefront and-force it'outwardl-y against the alveolus and hard palate.

side members laterally and longitudinally relative to the bottom member, after placement in the patients mouth, to compress the plastic and force it against the alveolus and hard palate.

9. A dental device for making impressions of plastic material comprising a bottom member; flanking side members abutting centrally of the front of the bottom member and there connected to each other by a leaf spring; pin and cam slot connecttionsbetween the rear ends of the flanking side members and bottom member; and

sions of plastic material comprising a bot tom member; flanking side members abutting centrally of the front of the bottom member and there connected to each other by a leaf spring; pin and cam slot connections joining the rear ends of' the flanking side members With the bottom member; and screw means to enable shifting of the botto hold the component members locked in Whatever position placed.

11. A dental device for making impressions of plastic material. comprising a bottom member; expansively connected flanking side members overlapping marginal portions of the side edges of said bottom member; brackets on the side members underlapping the marginal portions aforesaid of the bottom member to assist in holding the parts in assembly; and projections on said bottom member engaging complementarily inclined cam slots in the underlapping portions of the brackets aforesaid for cooperation in effecting simultaneous lateral and longitudinal shifting of said flanking side members relative to the bottom member.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Lebanon, Pennsylvania, this 24th day ofvJuly, 1925.

GRANT HOBART LIGHT. 

